36 years ago I drove away from a little church in Ypsilanti with this little dark-eyed beauty in my car. That Saturday night we had no way of knowing the blessed life we would have. Four sons. Four daughters. Five grandchildren and counting.
We served churches in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. She has been a faithful ministry companion, her heart true to her Lord. She is a woman of simple and sincere faith. She is truly a God-fearing woman.
She is the most loyal person I know. She is not afraid to tell me what she thinks I need to know, but she will come to my side in an instant if anyone means me harm.
She quietly bore, nurtured, fed, bathed, nursed, clothed, taught, trained, prayed, wept-with, comforted, rebuked, disciplined, each of the children with selfless devotion 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If people didn’t understand or agree it did not phase her or discourage her from fulfilling her duties.
Every Sunday morning of our lives together I drove away from the house alone while it was still dark. When I rose to preach, she would be sitting there with the whole beautiful, scrubbed, well-behaved clan on the second row, baby included giving powerful, silent support to the Gospel I preached. You should have seen them on Easter Sundays.
She worked hard constantly six days a week to earn extra money to pay the bills. She was content with simple things, her tiny diamond, and an occasional trip to Walmart and Burger King. She made the girls clothes. She nursed each baby until the next one came.
She taught me to she her love for Bluegrass and Kentucky. She shares everything. She will never let me go hungry.
That Saturday night thirty-six years ago I had no idea the gift God had bestowed upon me. I just thought I had found a pretty Christian girl to marry.
We married like the forging of two great rivers. We needed all the help we could get. We had to cling to Christ and our convictions, but God has been faithful.
I love her today with a deep and seasoned love you could never have until you fought, prayed, dreamed, argued, sang, journeyed, saved, spent, worked, played, failed, forgave, and started-over with a thousand times. God must have had a tear in the corner of his eye when He gave this girl to me.
How mountain girls can love… Happy Anniversary Lois Pierpont. I love you Lois Gail. I will love you to the last beat of my heart.